How To Be Successful: Increase Your Visibility

There are so many of us that learned through our family of origin, or our social experiences in early life, that the most dangerous thing you can do is be visible. There are also many places in the world where culturally speaking, standing out is considered rude, selfish, maladjusted, shameful, or harmful. With this understanding, please read this article and adapt it to your socio-cultural context, where you allow yourself to stretch to the level and contexts of visibility that won’t put your life in danger.

What is visibility?

Visibility is the ability, willingness, and act of allowing who you deeply are, to be seen, felt, heard, known, and related to, in whatever context or arena. To be visible, requires a level of vulnerability, because you are bringing who you authentically are to a context, and allowing yourself to openly express who and how you are.

How do we tend to relate to visibility?

Only you have your own unique experience and wisdom. Only you have your own mix of personality traits. Only you live your own life, from the inside, outwards. We all have creative drives, ideas and fantasies, as well as tastes and preferences that derive from our solo, one-bodied, experience on this planet.

Holding the tension of so much of what we experience inside, remaining simply, never to be actualized, is a built-in fear of failing, looking stupid, not belonging, or being flat out rejected. We then justify all of the fear, as well as perpetuate it, by rationalizing we have nothing of true value to offer anyways. We live a life filled with repeatedly dismissing the importance of the gifts of who we are, and how important it is these gifts be brought out into the world.

How does visibility bring success?

Many of the most successful people today have gone through the process of discovering who they are, what they are deeply passionate about, and giving themselves permission to be it, do it and express it. It is an almost delusional confidence in the self, and trust in the rightness and value of one’s experience and expressions, that leads people to be noticed and to inspire.

The vulnerability inherent in the way these individuals live, moves us all to get more deeply connected to our selves and to our purpose on this planet. For instance, Oprah has made a long career out of being visible, and has helped many others be inspired to be more successful in their own lives, because of letting who she is, be shown.

Of course, Oprah is not everyone’s cup of tea, however, the people who resonate with her message and the essence of who she is, were able to be drawn to her, SPECIFICALLY because she allowed herself visibility. Those who are meant to connect with us, teach us, help us, and support us, can ONLY be brought to us, if we first allow ourselves to be visible. Take a stand. Unapologetically be who you are. Broadcast your message, your wisdom, your gifts, and your skill sets. You will likely have people criticize and judge you, but more importantly, if you don’t let the nay-sayers stop you, eventually the people who need you and will support your success, will come forward too!

A thought to leave you with.

So, today, before you rationalize why you need not be more vulnerable, express your ideas or gifts, and put yourself out there, remember that there is someone out there who actually needs you to be visible, in order to catalyze or complete the life process they are in.

Now go out there, and be visible!